Shadowing Practice: Spring: Chapter 11 - Ms. Eliza Hummingbird - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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This is an original production of The Gnomes of Wonder Garden,
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This is an original production of The Gnomes of Wonder Garden,
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with story, music, and performance by Nathaniel Santa Cruz,
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and guest performance by Lisa and Sophia Santa Cruz.
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Let's begin.
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Chapter 11.
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Missy Eliza Hummingbird.
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Petty Pom rushed to open his front door.
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Ruby and Citrine had come to drop off Tourmaline for the afternoon.
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It was Yellow Day, which meant it was Petty Pom's turn to watch the little pixie
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while the other fairies attended their fairy lessons with Pearl.
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Hi, Petty Pom, said Tourmaline, twirling her skirt.
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The little gnome welcomed her inside.
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He turned to say goodbye to Ruby and Citrine,
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but they were already gone.
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Pettypalm spun around to find Tourmaline on the counter,
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and a jar of biscuits shuddered on the floor.
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Uh-oh, she said, looking at the mess.
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Frantically, Pettypalm rushed over and quickly moved Tourmaline to a chair at the table.
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Sister Flame appeared upon a candle and tried to entertain the little pixie while Pettypum cleaned up the mess.
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But, unexpectedly, Tourmaline climbed onto the table and tried to grab her.
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Immediately, Sister Flame vanished and reappeared on another candle.
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Giggling, Tourmaline began leaping from table to chair to candle,
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chasing the little flame as she jumped from candle to candle.
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cried Petty Palm.
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Quickly, he picked up termoline and gave her a biscuit.
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Distracted, she sat on the floor with her legs outstretched and happily bunched on her snack.
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With a sigh of relief,
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Petty Palm sat down beside her and ate a biscuit too.
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A quiet moment passed as they smiled at each other with mouthfuls.
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Would you like some honey with your wicket? asked Pettypom.
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What's honey? asked Tourmaline.
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Pettypom gasped.
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You've never had honey before?
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Tourmaline just sat on the floor with a finger in her mouth and shook her head.
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Quickly, Pettypom stood up to fetch his jar of honey,
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only to discover it was empty.
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Oh no, he said, I've run out.
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Upon hearing this, Tourmaline's lip began to quiver,
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and her eyes started to swell.
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Oh, don't worry, he said quickly, reassuring her.
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We just need to get some more.
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Come follow me.
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Okay.
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Her frown quickly turned upside down,
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and she grinned with happy teeth.
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So Pettypom took his empty jar,
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and Tourmaline followed him outside.
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Together, they climbed down the plum tree and walked across the orchard to a hollow log where the honeybees were buzzing.
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As they approached, Petty Palm began to sing.
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Honey so sweet, I am swimming in honey so sweet.
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From my head down to my little feet,
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I am covered in honey so sweet.
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Dearest friend, won't you come with me And we'll go up into the honey tree
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And we'll dance with the honey bees Where the honey drips abundantly Come with me,
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we'll eat honey so sweet We'll go swimming in honey so sweet From our heads down to our little feet
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We'll be covered in honey so sweet Dearest friend won't you come with me And we'll go up into the honey tree
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And we'll dance with the honey bees Where the honey drips abundantly Come with me and you'll see
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Petty Palm was good friends with the honey bees And he knew how to talk to them by dancing.
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Inside the beehive, the bees welcomed Petipalm to refill his jar while Tourmaline freely helped herself by licking honey off the walls.
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Suddenly, there was a commotion outside and all the bees swarmed out,
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leaving Petipalm and Tourmaline alone.
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Following their lead, Petipalm peeked out to see what was happening.
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To his surprise, he found the bees buzzing around a little bird who was trying to drink from the nearby flowers.
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Pettypalm knew the bees did not like to share their flowers and could see that the little bird was distressed.
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Without hesitation, Pettypalm quickly went over to help,
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buzzing and dancing with vigor until the bees agreed to leave her alone and return to their hive.
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Out of breath, the little bird thanked Pettypalm.
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Thank you.
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Kindly, the young gnome invited her to drink from the flowers and rest.
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Once she had replenished herself,
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she zipped and fluttered through the air like no one he'd ever seen.
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Just then, Termaline joined them outside and asked, Who's that?
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Hi, little one.
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The little bird fluttered her wings and introduced herself as Miss Eliza Hummingbird.
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Miss Eliza hummingbird I'm the smallest bird you've heard Not a buzzing bee,
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not a fly you see I have feathers on my wings And a voice that proudly sings I'm a hummingbird,
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a hummingbird No one can fly like me I'm a hummingbird,
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a hummingbird Just watch me
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and you'll see I can hover like a bee I can zigzag through the trees Zipping through the leaves,
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cutting through the breeze You can hardly see my wings But can hear me proudly sing I'm a hummingbird,
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a hummingbird, no one can fly like me.
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I'm a hummingbird, a hummingbird,
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just watch me and you'll see.
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I'm a hummingbird, a hummingbird,
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no one can fly like me.
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I'm a hummingbird, a hummingbird,
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just watch me and you'll see.
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Amazed at how well she could fly,
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Petty Palm explained how much he wished she could fly too.
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Tourmaline flooded her tiny wings in agreement.
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Well?
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Said Eliza, zipping to and fro.
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You were kind enough to save me from those bothersome bees.
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I'd be delighted to give you a ride on my back.
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Really?
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They both said, their eyes twinkling.
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Yes, of course!
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She replied with excitement.
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Without delay, Petty Palm and Termini hopped onto Eliza's back,
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and up into the sky they soared.
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They shouted.
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Meanwhile, Thumpkin and Hamilton were enjoying their afternoon tea outside
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when they looked up to see a new fairy joining Pearl's class in the sky.
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But it didn't fly quite like the others.
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Are you sure that's a fairy?
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Thumpkin asked, squinting.
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It looks like.. like Petty Pom!
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Just then, the young gnome,
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along with Termaline, darted by on Eliza's back,
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laughter and giggles trailing behind them.
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A sudden gust blew Thumpkin's hat off,
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Settling it back on his head, he chuckled.
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Well, it's about time that gnome could fly.
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Thank you for listening, and we hope you enjoyed this story.
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Be sure to visit us at wondergarden.net or join us on the Wonder Garden app.
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Now, please enjoy some music from this story performed by Katherine Brunner.
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Honey so sweet I am swimming in honey
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so sweet From my head down to my little feet I am covered in honey so sweet
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Dearest friend won't you come with me Then we'll go up into the honey tree And we'll dance with the honeybees
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Where the honey drips abundantly Come with me,
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we'll eat honey so sweet
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We'll go swimming in honey so sweet From our heads down to our little feet We'll be covered in honey so sweet
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Dearest friend, won't you come with me And we'll go up into the honey tree And we'll dance with the honeybees
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Where the honey drips abundantly Come with me and you'll see
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Miss Eliza hummingbird I'm the smallest bird you've heard Not a buzzing bee,
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not a fly, you see I have feathers on my wings And a voice that proudly sings I'm a hummingbird,
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a hummingbird No one can fly like me I'm a hummingbird,
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a hummingbird Just watch me and you'll see I can hover like a bee,
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I can zigzag through the trees Sipping through the leaves,
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cutting through the breeze You can hardly see my wings,
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but can hear me proudly sing I'm a hummingbird,
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a hummingbird, no one can fly like me I'm a hummingbird,
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a hummingbird, just watch me and you'll see I'm a hummingbird,
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a hummingbird, no one can fly like me I'm a hummingbird,
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a hummingbird, just watch me and you'll see.

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About This Lesson

In this lesson, learners will delve into the engaging world of "Spring: Chapter 11 - Ms. Eliza Hummingbird." Through the lively interactions between characters such as Petty Pom and Tourmaline, you will practice essential English speaking skills. This chapter offers a rich opportunity to enhance your listening comprehension and oral fluency while enjoying a whimsical narrative. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to replicate dialogues, improve your pronunciation, and better understand vocabulary used in everyday contexts. Engaging with the story will also introduce you to various emotional expressions, crucial for effective communication in English.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • twirling her skirt - Describe movement with grace.
  • Uh-oh - An expression indicating surprise or trouble.
  • giggling - A joyful, high-pitched laughing sound.
  • honey so sweet - A phrase that conveys richness and delight.
  • petty - Referring to something of little importance, but in this context, it’s also a character name.
  • mess - An untidy state, particularly from spills or accidents.
  • reassuring - Offering comfort or support in a distressing situation.
  • buzzing - The sound made by bees, signifying activity and life.

Practice Tips

To fully benefit from this lesson, consider using the shadowing technique while watching the video. This technique involves listening to the audio, pausing, and repeating what you hear. Given the playful and lively pace of the dialogue in this chapter, using a shadowing app can enhance your practice sessions. Focus on mimicking the characters' intonation and rhythm, much like how Tourmaline interacts with Petty Pom. Pay attention to their emotional expressions; try to replicate not just the words but also the feelings behind them as you practice. Engaging deeply with this content will lead to improvements in your English fluency and ability to express emotions effectively.

Additionally, performing this exercise regularly will help reinforce new vocabulary in your active memory, enabling you to use it spontaneously in conversations. You can also explore different segments of the text repeatedly to strengthen your understanding. Using the learn English with YouTube method is a fun way to incorporate interesting narratives into your language practice.

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

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